Bridge problem work board



May 19, W36. D. e. ARONBERG 2,113,452

BRIDGE PROBLEM WORK BOARD Filed May 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l waze Swami/cm DA :00 G flea/vases.

May 1%, 1936.. D. G. ARQNBERG V BRIDGE PROBLEM WORK BOARD Filed May 21,

1935 2 sheets sheet 2 DAV/0 G: Aka/vases Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRIDGE PROBLEM WORK BOARD David G. Aronberg, New York, N. Y.

Application May- 21, 1935,:Seria1-iNo. 22,632

7 Claims. (Cl; 273-151) This invention relates toa card.- gameappar-atus and, more particularly, to a: device for assisting players in working out and studying. bridgee prob-' lems and theories of play.

5: Since the advent of auction andcontract bridge literally millions of persons have developed a fascination for these card games, which is reflected in the bridge problems, appearing in most of the daily newspapers and magazines.

10 Usually, in working out bridge hands, players set down their sequence of play with pencil and paper but this method makes it practically impossible to visualize the cards as played and also involves the difliculty of endeavoring, to follow a 151 printed diagram which vmust indicate. 52 cards divided into four hands of 13-cards each;

An object, therefore, of my invention isto provide a bridge problem work board whichv instantly shows the player all thecards of thefour 20 hands in such a manner that they are visualized easily and readily as actual playingycards.

A further object is to construct a bridge.problem accessory in Whichthehands. to bev played are conveniently set .up or'dealt, and in whichthe 25 same hands may be replayed a. number of times without further reference to. the original: memoranda creating the particular hand.

A still further object of this. inventionis to so lay out the work board that studyofthe cards 30 in each hand is simplified by using, miniature cards arranged inhorizontal suit r.ows :with. .the corresponding values of each suit arranged in vertical rows.

Referring to the appended drawings:

35 Fig. l is a top plan view of the work board.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the board.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a partial top plan view, broken away, to show certain details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental vertical section taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partially in cross section, of a modified form of the invention taken on line 6-6 of Figure '7.

4 Fig. '7 is a partial top plan view of the modified form disclosed in Figure 6.

Specifically, I denotes a rectangular sheet metal plate having its side edges 2 downturned and if desired, inturned at 3 to form a base.

The surface of the plate I is cut and struck-up or punched out at 4 and 5 to form parallel rows of spaced lugs; see Figures 3 and 4. The rows of struck-up lugs 4 and 5 are in spaced horizontal and vertical alignment and as the completed de- 55 vice represents a full deck of 52 cards there are 52 lugs of each type. The lugs 4 are bent up at substantially a 90 angle, while the lugs 5 are slightly; longer and bent up on an oblique angle.

Securedinside openings 6, formed in the downturned edges 2 of the plate, and overlying the top surface thereof, are four horizontal pivoted parallel rods 1 which normally rest against the top of .the plate, as seen in Figure 1. Between each of the: horizontal spaced rows of lugs 4 and 5 and slightly elevated above the plate l, are stationary pivot. rodsv 8, the ends thereof being retained in holes 9 formed in the balls l; A-ffixed to the bottom of each ball III are screw threaded bolts ll. depending through openings l2 in the plate I and held by nuts I3.

Threaded on each pivot rod 8 are sets of miniature sheet metal cards I4 each comprising a main body portion 1 and integral end hinge portion It. Therolled hinge end portion l6 being of slightly greater width than the body portions 15 so that when the 13 miniature cards, representing one card suit, are mounted on the rods 8, theoffset extensions of each rolled hinge end of the cards abut, while the body portions l5 of the cards M are spaced. one from the other.

Referring. to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen thateach of. the miniature cards I4 is adapted to be-turned up and rest against struck-up lugs 5, while-in downturned position the miniature cards contact upturned lugs 4.

In practicabefore layingout a. problem, all of the cards i4 areturned downwardly, as shown in Figural, so that they restv against their respective lugs 4. Each of the miniature cards has indicated on both its back and face the value of the card with the ace value of the suits indicated on the first card of the row so that the aces and all other values of all four suits are arranged in vertical alignment. When it is desired to lay out or set up a bridge problem, four work boards are arranged in the conventional north, east, south, and west positions, and with the problem at hand the proper cards of the various hands are laid out on the boards by raising the proper cards so that they rest against lugs 5. The faces of the cards when raised also indicate the value and suit of the card, as clearly shown in Figure 2. After the hands have been set up, the pivoted rods 1 are swung up and over until they rest across the backs of the cards not being used. The player, with the four complete hands before him, proceeds to play each hand and as each card is played it is turned down against one of the rods 1, (see Figures 3 and 4). The score of the tricks may be kept on a memorandum pad or with any of the well known scoring devices.

One of the salient features of the present invention is the provision for permitting the play of the cards while holding them in position so that they may be readily reset for a further playing of the same hand. This is a great value to studious bridge players, as usually a player desires to play, or work out, the same hand several times and by arresting the cards l4 against the pivoted rod 7 as they are played, it follows that the hand may be readily reset for a further attempt to solve the problem without reference to the diagram or memorandum, which created the particular problem in question.

Figures 6 and 7 disclose a modified work board which comprises a fiat plate with turned down 7 edges as previously described. Here the plate is cut and narrow lugs 22 struck-up on either side of the bent portions 2| have been rolled to form a tube or hinge. In these modified forms the miniature cards 25 have narrow rolled end portions 26 which are pivoted on rods 21 held in the hinge loop of the bent portions 2|. To limit the downward position of the cards the plate is punched, or pressed, outwardly at 23 and the end of the card extending over this punched portion is readily lifted. Pivoted horizontal guard rods 24, similar to rods 1, are carried in the side edges of the plate and are adapted to pivot over the unused cards and function as previously described.

What I claim is:

1. A card game Work board comprising a flat plate having downturned edges, horizontal rows of upstanding lugs formed in said plate, horizontal elevated transverse rods afiixed to the said plate between adjacent rows of said lugs, a plurality of miniature cards pivoted to said rods, one row of said lugs supporting said cards in lowered position and the other set of said lugs supporting said cards when in raised position.

2. A card game accessory including a plane surface comprising a fiat plate, sets of spaced horizontal rows of upstanding lugs pressed out from said flat plate, elevated rods carried on said plate between each set of rows of the said horizontal lugs, miniature cards pivotally secured to said elevated rods and contacting with one or' the other of said spaced lugs when said rods are in either raised or lowered position.

3. A card game work board including a flat metal plate, having a plurality of horizontal rows of spaced lugs integrallyformed in the top surface of said plate, a plurality of parallel rods secured to said plate, sets of miniature playing cards arranged in identical value sequence pivotally secured on said rods, the said rods being positioned between pairs of rows of spaced lugs and in elevated relation to the said plate.

4. In a device of the character described, a flat plate having downturned edges, a plurality of fixed parallel rods secured to and lying above the top surface of said plate, sets of miniature playing cards pivotally secured to the fixed rods and normally lying parallel to the top surface of said plate, a plurality of pivoted rods also overlying the topsurface of the plate and adapted to contact the playing cards when the same are lying parallel to the plate.

5. In a device of the character described, a fiat plate having depending side edges, a plurality of series of rows of horizontally and vertically spaced lugs struck-up from the plate, the center of said horizontal rows of lugs of each series being bent to form pivot tubes, pivoted rods positioned in said pivot tubes and miniature playing cards pivotally secured to said rods intermediate the said pivot tubes.

6. A card game accessory including a fiat metal plate having downturned side edges, movable rods adapted to overlie said plate and pivotally secured in opposite side edges thereof, fixed rods retained in elevated position above said plate and in spaced relation to said movable rods, markers representing playing cards pivoted to said fixed rods, the said markers being adapted to swing upwardly; the said movable rods adapted to overlie the free ends of the markers when lying in horizontal unswung position.

'7. A card game accessory including a fiat plate having downturned sides, swingablerods pivoted in opposite downturned sides and overlying the surface of the plate, horizontal rows of spaced upstanding lugs struck-up from' the surface of said plate, fixed rods secured in elevated position above said plate and positioned between horizontal rows of the upstanding lugs, pivoted miniature playing cards comprising flat plates having one end rolled'to form a tube threaded on said fixed rods, the playing cards contacting with an upstanding lugin both raised or lowered position; the said swingable rods being adapted to overlie the free ends of the playing cards only when the said'cards are in lowered position.

DAVID G. ARONBERG. 

